Warm Hearth, Cold Snow
by HeartoftheTruestFangirl
Summary: When Elsa comes to Storybrooke, it causes a shock wave through the whole town, unearthing a buried-deep secret about Hook, setting him-and Emma, along with other individuals, on a quest. Will they find what they're looking for? ***IS REVISED*** Rated K for some language. No f-bombs, though.
1. The Beginning

**Welcome to the first chapter of the **revised** Warm Hearth, Cold Snow. I've added more detail and corrected some bothersome grammar mistakes. Hope you like it! Oh, and please comment!**

Emma

One of the clearest memories I have of the orphanage is the time someone with a kind heart payed for us to go to the zoo. It was literally the happiest day I had ever known. The animal that impressed me the most was the snow leopard. Its coat was stunning, and the hidden strength you could see in everything it did amazed me.

This is one of the thoughts that rushed through my mind as I look at the figure in front of me.

Snow-white hair, piercing blue eyes, pale skin. Definitely has never been in Storybrooke before. With my experience, anyone new here meant trouble. I look questioningly at Hook, who raises an eyebrow in response.

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously. I don't want to come off as too offensive, just in case she wasn't an evil witch. She probably is, but why risk it?

"My name is...that doesn't matter right now." the woman replied, a little shakily, I noticed. "I'm looking for my sister, Anna. Although this doesn't look like Arendale at all..." That's when it happens. Blue ice spreads from her feet like water, freezing everything in its path. I yell in surprise, my eyes widening. The woman looks at me with a horrified expression for a second, then takes off running. Hook shouts and rushes after her. I hold my arm out to the side, blocking his movement.

"Wait." I tell him.

"Swan, if you haven't noticed, she just nearly froze us over." he responds. "I don't think _waiting_ is too good of an idea. She's just another villain. One we are letting GET AWAY."

"Just...trust me." I say absently, watching her blue-clad figure get farther and farther away. Why would I let her go, you ask? I was asking myself that same question, to tell you the truth.

Maybe it was because I didn't know whose side she was on.

Or maybe it was it was the complete terror I had seen in her eyes.

I grab Hook's hand and tell him we have to spread the word about this new danger, then start walking to Granny's. I had seen Regina sitting two booths in front of us before rushing out to face the ice witch. I had to talk to her about some things.

* * *

Hook

As I watch the ice witch run away, I want to do nothing more than chase after her and demand her to tell me the things I needed to know.

But Swan says wait. So I will wait. Not for long.

I feel like stabbing myself. I should have recognized her. How many times had I told myself to search for her? I had to know the truth about what happened. But then Mila had come, and my life had changed. How could I have forgotten my family? But now that witch, that _Elsa_ is back...

There is no way I'm letting her slip through my fingers again. I stop for a moment, letting the memories wash over me. Some are soothing, but the one I focus on, the one with that witch in it, stings me like acid rain. No. I need answers. I need _reasons._

"Come on." Swan grabs my hand. "We have to tell everybody." I grunt in agreement. There is no time now to search for her. I will wait.

But not for long.

* * *

Today the thing came back.

I didn't mean to kill the hot dog man. I was just begging for food, and he started yelling at me. Then I felt the all-too familiar tingling come back, and it just...came out.

When the police came, I was long gone. I had crept back to my hiding place. My stomach grumbled. I had not eaten for days, but I knew there was no way to I could eat with the humongous knot in my throat, anyway. I kept picturing the man's face, contorted forever into a picture of fury.

Did he have a family? With children? Was he a nice father, the kind that you missed when he was gone? Would the mother want to cry when she finds out he's dead, or will she hold her tears back, be strong for the children, and only mourn for her lost love behind closed doors?

Will they move on?

These are the questions that run through my head as I contemplate the life of the man I have killed. Accidentally, yes, but any sadness that stems from that incident is my fault. His blood is on my head.

"I thought it had gone _away_." I choke, tears burning as I try my best to hold them back. I curl up in my box, trying to get comfortable. I imagine that my brother was still alive, and was here with me. He would tell me that everything was okay. He would make up some kind of joke, to make me smile. He could always make me smile. Then he would enfold me in his arms, and I would fall asleep, feeling warm and safe.

But I didn't deserve to be happy, after all I've done to that man and his family. Today, the notion of my brother, of being safe, was so ridiculous it was funny.

The tears wouldn't stop. I try to wipe them off, only succeeding in smearing the tears all over my face. A chill wind swept in, making me cold. Finally, I just stopped trying to make myself feel better and let all the despair and misery inside me come out. My wails mixed with the shrieking of the wind. A snowstorm was coming.

One that I had created. Again.

Why am I such a monster?


	2. That One Thing

**Please comment!**

Emma

"AUGH!" I splutter, spilling hot chocolate everywhere. Emphasis on _hot_. I cough a little, heat flooding my cheeks. "Um, anyway, we need to decide if this...newcomer is a threat." I continue, taking another sip of my hot chocolate. Unfortunately, I had burned my tongue so badly I could hardly taste it. Wonderful.

"I think we should attack her." Regina says calmly. "From our experience, any newcomer is a bad one, especially one with magic." A frown tugs at her lips. Ever since I had accidentally brought Maid Marian back from the past and reunited her with Robin, Regina's mood had become increasingly sour. Not that I could blame her. Truthfully, I felt really horrible for breaking her and Robin up. Regina needed some happiness in her life, and I must admit, they had made a really cute couple.

"I'm not saying I disagree with you," Mary Mar- I mean, Mom acknowledges. "But Emma is right. She might be friendly."

"Might be friendly?" Hook scoffs. "She bloody nearly froze the whole town! I say we go with the Queen's plan and attack." I shot him a look. He looks back at me, but his eyes were as unreadable as the sea they so closely mimic.

"I think-I think it was by accident." I reply slowly.

"An accident." Regina retorted, rolling her eyes. "That makes complete sense. If you can't tell, Emma, using magic like that requires _control._ "

"Something you obviously don't have." she adds snarkily.

I stare at my hot chocolate like it might contain answers. Henry joins in.

"It's strange, but I can't find her story in my book." he stated, flipping through the pages as if it might have somehow appeared. "Usually, I can find everyone's story in the book, excepting Dr. Whale."

"It's probably because her story doesn't touch the Enchanted Forest." Ruby suggests. Regina looks at her quizzically.

"That's actually a very good guess, for someone who doesn't know magic." Regina said slowly. "But I don't think that's the case. You see, when the girl first used her magic, I could sense it. It had a certain similarity to the Enchanted Forest magic, although there were some foreign elements in it."

"Then why wasn't she in my book?" Henry asked. Regina opened her mouth, then closed it. Since no one else knew, the room falls into an uncomfortable silence. Just then, (Mr. Gold, Rumplestiltskin, whatever you wanted to call him) walks in, his cane tap-tap-tapping on the tiled floor.

"Can somebody please tell my why one of the most dangerous magicks in my vault is loose?" he asks angrily. Hook and I exchange looks, mine worried, his unsurprised. I raise an eyebrow. Obviously, he knows more than he was letting on. I make a mental note to interrogate him later.

"It probably fell in when we time-traveled back." I say nervously. I had no idea how he'd react to this.

"Ms. Swan, you're making less sense than usual." came the reply. Hook leans over and whispers into my ear:

"He doesn't know about this, lass. He took the forgetting potion, remember?"

"Oh." As quickly as we can, we tell him what had happened in the past. When we finish, he groans and sat down.

"Do you have any idea what you've unleashed?" he says angrily. I bit my lip, because, the thing is, i didn't.

That was what I was afraid of.

* * *

Hook

What I did need, though, was information that only the witch could give me. I would stop at nothing to get it.

Oh, but she was clever. Hiding in the Crocodile's secret cavern? Even I wouldn't have found her there. I would've never dreamed _he_ had gotten hold of her. Put her in a jar, had he? Ha! She probably wasn't expecting that. She deserved it. Probably the only favor that old Croc would ever do to me. Her falling into the portal was a stroke of luck.

Or destiny.

I tap my finger on the table impatiently. I wanted this thrice-damned meeting over 30 minutes ago. I had resigned myself to sitting back and offering annoying little quips when I could. I knew I was acting like a lad that was too young to get his sea legs, but I had more important things to do. That frost trail the witch had left was melting too fast for my liking. Gaaah, Swan, can't you move it along?

"What do you think, Hook?" Emma asks, jolting me out of my thoughts. Oops.

"I agree with whatever plan that includes hunting down the ice witch."

"See? Even the pirate agrees with me." Regina says smugly.

"I don't think he was paying attention." Emma sighs, exasperated. She turns to me. "I saw you looking out the window."

"I was watching the clouds." I respond absently, now getting worried. Just a few minutes ago, the sky had been a clear blue. Now it was almost completely covered with dark storm clouds. I hear Snow White gasp as a snowflake slowly floats down.

Snow, in the middle of June? Definitely the work of the ice witch.

* * *

Andromeda

I got the blizzard to stop after a couple of days. It wasn't because I felt better. It had more to do with the fact that I was sick and tired with the swirling white nothingness. Also, I was kind of literally starving to death because I couldn't take one step outside of my box without instantly losing my bearings. At least I couldn't freeze to death, like I'm sure other people have. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I have been so thoughtless!

_More blood on your hands, Andromeda. Is that really what you want?_

I respond to the traitorous thought with a resounding "NO!" Unfortunately, I had said that out loud, and now people were staring at the crazy girl who was yelling into the air.

It was hard for me to trudge through the 4-foot tall snow, but how could I complain? It was my fault. At least no one got too scared by the freak blizzard. Luckily, it was nearing the end of fall, so people reasoned the blizzard had something to do with global warming. I hung my head low, not meeting the eyes of anyone on the street.

Not that they would know that it was my fault. These things just don't happen in New York. Nobody has magical powers. I'm a freak.

For the thousandth time today, I wished my brother was with me. I usually do, but today especially, I needed someone with his bright smile and uplifting spirit.

For the thousandth time today, I wondered if he was dead.

I had been wandering around for hours, and now I finally realized where my feet were taking me-to the cart where I had accidentally killed that man. I didn't really want to be reminded, but I didn't have the energy to go anywhere else. I found the empty cart and plopped down next to it.

"Hey, Andromeda!" It was Papi, a fellow street urchin. He was running toward me with a big smile on his face and a bowl of something steamy and delicious-smelling. My stomach growls, reminding me that I needed to get some food. And fast."The soup kitchen opened up today! Look, I brought you a bowl." He handed me a steaming dish of soup that warmed my hands.

I must admit, my attitude started looking up the second a put some food in my mouth.

"They're also giving out clothes, 'cause of the blizzard. Come one!" the young boy beckons. I decide to follow.

I hadn't had a friend in a long while.


	3. A Journey and A Friend

**Please comment! **

Hook

"Hey, where are you going?" Emma asks, a smile playing on her face and her eyes sparkling. She looks so beautiful, though I knew she wasn't even trying. "The fun hasn't even started yet." I look over her shoulder at the gaggle of people laughing and talking.

"Sorry, lass. That kind of thing's not my style." I say truthfully. What I don't tell her is I don't have the time for it, either. The more I wait, the colder it gets, the more snow accumulates, the harder it is to track the witch. A welcome-back party is not one of my top priorities.

"But you're one of the guests of honor." Emma wheedles. "Besides, you're a hero now. You should get used to be around people. A party is good practice. Besides, after everyone leaves, I promise we'll have some alone time."

I can feel my resolve breaking. Swan's a wily one. She knows just what pressure points to press. I sigh, my breath visible in the cold night air. I did not want to do this. I did not want to do this.

"Fifteen minutes."

"Thirty minutes." she replied.

"Fine." I grumble, stepping into Granny's. Almost immediately, I'm surrounded by a bunch of people, pestering me with questions. I grimace and grudgingly answer them, while throwing dirty looks Emma's way. She said people practice, not a whole damn people production! Thankfully, Henry steps in (bless the dear lad) and leads me aside.

"Go. I'll cover for you." he whispers urgently.

"Cover for me? Why?" I ask, feigning confusion. Henry raises an eyebrow, a move I'm proud to say comes from hanging around me. Or his mother. Both. Both is good.

"I know you want to track the new-comer. I'll call it Mission Marshmallow."

"Marshmallow?"

"I really want some s'mores. Now go!" Not waiting to be told a third time, I sneak out the back door. The stinging wind slaps me in the face. The snow is almost up to my thighs now. I'm glad I wore boots. As I trudge through the snow, I can't help but to look at the party. The back door is still a crack open, warm yellow light spilling out invitingly. Emma's clear lough trills from inside. I almost walk back. I shake my head, clearing my mind, and take a few breaths of the sharp air. There's no time for tom-foolery now. If I don't start tracking her now, then I probably never will.

As Emma's laugh is heard again from behind the door, I get a flash of memory, not of Emma, but of another girl with a bright laugh and cheery smile. Younger. I frown, a lump stuck in my throat. A girl that did not deserve what came to her.

"To the witch." I mutter, and walk on.

* * *

Emma

"Have you seen Hook?" I ask Ruby. "I've been looking for him all over." She shakes her head and moves away to refill someone's coffee cup. I hear a giggle behind me, and a turn to find Henry sipping a cup of coffee.

"Buddy, I told you not to drink that stuff." I warn, sliding into the booth beside him. "It's almost time for bed anyways."

"I thought you promised Hook some alone time after everybody left. Aren't you?" he poses the question innocently, the little devil. I cough a little. He looks up at me, waiting for an answer. I swallow.

"That's none of your business, young man." I look at the window. "Actually, the snow's getting pretty high. Maybe you should leave anyway, before the door gets blocked up."

"It's because of her." Henry states. It's not a question. I sigh.

"Yeah." I respond. Seeing the worried look on my face, he tries to comfort me.

"Don't worry. Hook will find her and ask her to stop. Oops." he bites his lip, embarrassed.

"HE WENT TO LOOK FOR HER?" I yell, startling him so he almost jumps out of his seat. "Sorry. Sorry. Gosh, now I need to find him. And in this weather, too! I guess the guy just can't keep himself out of a fight. He was a pirate after all..." I say, grumbling to myself as I put my coat on. When I step outside, the cold is so intense I almost go back in.

"If I get frostbite, he is soooo dead." I mumble to myself, and force my way into the storm.

* * *

Andromeda

It feels good to have companionship, after all these years. Papi's silly antics make me laugh, something I haven't done in a long time. The coat Goodwill gave me warms me on the outside, but my friendship, something I had once thought impossible for a monster like me, warms me from the inside. In return for everything he does for me, I keep the bullies away.

"Andromeda, how come the big kids are so afraid of you?" he asked me one day. I chew the inside of my cheek, wondering if I should trust him. He looks up at me with such an innocent face, I comply.

"I have a special power." I whispered, summoning a snowflake in my palm. Papi gasps in wonder and delight. "The boys don't know that, but they do know that if they mess with me, they're going to have frozen butts in the morning." I punctuate the statement with some waggling of my fingers. Papi laughs, covering his mouth with his palm. I smile back. Suddenly, I lunge and start tickling him. He shrieks with laughter and feebly tries to beat my hands away. I laugh so hard myself that I have to stop.

Luckily, the bullies are superstitious, so when I tell them that my mother was a witch, they believe me. Thinking about my mom, my real one, saddens me for a moment.

"What's the matter?" Papi had asked worriedly.

"It's nothing." I had said, wiping my tears away.

Now, I smile as I remember Papi's concern. Sharing my secret with him was the best thing I had ever done. Every night before we go to box (we have no bed, so what's the use of that expression?) I summon enough snow to make a snowman with him. He doesn't treat me any different because he knows. His demeanor is so cheerful, I feel it rubbing off on me. I feel like someone has looked down on me and granted me some respite. Even my plaguing guilt seems to weigh me down less. Yet, there's still a dark cloud on my mind.

Some nights, I wonder how long it will last.


	4. The New Guy and A Back Story

**Please comment!**

Andromeda

There was a new guy in town. He called himself Hercules. He wasn't the biggest, or the strongest boy I had ever seen, but something about him made even the most experienced bullies shy away. Still, he seemed like he was another one of those brutes that use maximum muscle and minimum brain power to get what they wanted.

At least, that's what I thought.

He approaches us on our way back from the soup kitchen. The snow from my storm hadn't quite melted yet, and the sharp chill of winter persisted in the air. I had seen him in the shadows not too long before, so I eye him suspiciously.

"Hello. What's your name?" he said, all grins. "Mine is Hercules. My friends call me Herc." He stretches out a hand. Papi steps forward to shake it, but I stop him with a gesture.

"Nice to meet you, _Hercules_." I reply coolly. "I haven't seen you before. Are you new?"

"Fresh off the boat." he admits. His eyes drop down for a moment, then refocuse on me. "I don't really know my way around. Think you could help me?" I bit my lip. What was his game? I stalled for time.

"Where are your parents? If you just got off the boat, they must be around somewhere." He didn't seem old enough to have gotten his papers to immigrate, plus he didn't have the slightest accent. My beleif that he had nefarious plans got stronger by the minute. His eyes darken at my question. I got scared by what I saw in there. Anger so strong, it almost baked me right there. And just a touch of madness. I had to get away. And fast.

"My parents are...unavailable. Now, about showing me around?" My eyes darted around. Did he have a group of people readied for an ambush? I didn't think he'd been here long enough to form alliances with a gang. No, that couldn't work, he didn't know for certain where we would lead him, and there were no spaces for hiding. I looked around. Nothing but a lot of people.

_Oh. _Duh.

He wants to lead us away so he could attack us steal our stuff. OK, how do I get out of this? I didn't want to get on this guy's bad side. So I stretched my mouth into what I hoped seemed like a believable smile, and said:

"Well, we usually stick around the soup kitchen, so we don't know our way around that much." I lie. "Besides, there's everything you need here; food, people that give an occasional dollar, why go look elsewhere? Well, we're going to look for a place to eat now. Bye!"

As I speed off, Papi in hand, I glance back. Hercules had disappeared. I shudder. That guy scared me. As soon as we got a safe distance away, I stop, letting Papi catch his breath.

"He was nice, 'Meda!" Papi complains. "Why'd we run away?"

"He might have seemed nice, Papi, but I could tell he was a bully." I respond, not impatiently. The 6-year-old Papi wouldn't understand what I had seen. He shrugs, plunks down, and starts eating his food. A paper on the nearby lamp post catches my eye.

That's when I see it.

**Wanted**

For a double murder of the first-degree,

**Jackson Altman**

If you see this man, call...

Murder? In this neighborhood, not too surprising. But... I glance at the picture. I stop cold(no pun intended). I notice ice spreading out from under my feet. Hands shaking, I look more closely at the mug shot. Even though it was smudged and dark, it was clear:

Hercules was the murderer.

* * *

Hook

"Blasted wind." I grumble. "Bloody snow."

I was getting less fond of this decision by the minute. It was almost like the storm was fighting against me. For every three steps I took forward, it pushed me two steps back. But it meant I was getting closer to the witch. The wind howled ferociously, it almost sounded like a voice.

_Hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook,_ the wind said. _I'm goooing to kiiiiiiiiiiill yoooooooooou._

Wait. Wind isn't that articulate. At that very moment, someone crashes into me.

"Gaah!" I yell, brandishing my hook. The mystery person looks up, and I let my hook drop. It was Emma.

"What were you mhhmblmuff." Her last words were stifled, probably because she was hugging me with her face shumshed into my coat. "The storm go so bad, and I got really worried. I thought you had died of hypothermia. I was so-" Then she seems to remember she was mad. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? GOING AFTER THE ICE WITCH! I CAN'T-"

"Her name is Elsa." I interject, not because I want Swan to call her by her proper name (hell, I don't) but mostly because I wanted her to stop yelling.

"Elsa? How would you know that?" Emma asks.

"We have-a bit of a history."

"What kind of history?"

"She destroyed my life." I can feel anger flooding into me, words coming out in a torrent of angry speech.

"Before I became a pirate, I lived in a village. This village was tired of paying too much for protection they didn't really need, under a kindom that taxed then too much anyway. My village wanted to declare independence. They started to rebel. Eventually, it got so serious, they sent the Queen over." I take a deep breath.

"Her name was Elsa. We met her at the gates, and our leader entered the town hall with her." I take a quick breath in, as my heart was beating faster than usual. Probably from all the emotions rushing through my body. I numbly noticed I was shaking, and not just from the cold.

"A few hours later, there was a big boom. Everyone rushed outside, including me my...mother, and my sister. Our leader was on the floor, frozen to death. The Queen herself was fine. We shouted and brought our weapons, saying she was going to kill us all with her black magic. Then another blast came out from her. Once it touched my sister, she disappeared." I stop for a moment. Just saying this next part made my heart twist.

"It struck my mother in the heart. Elsa ran away, while I sat beside my mom. Hoping...hoping..." I try to dispel the lump of emotion in my throat. I notice my breathing is even quicker and shakier now, almost like I'm hyperventilating. "Her hair started turning white. I chased after the Queen, screaming all the while to come back and heal her. I tracked her for 4 days, but she had disappeared into the woods. When I came back, my mother was dead. Turned into an ice statue by that...WITCH!" I choke out.

Emma murmurs in sympathy and touches my arm.

"My father was a drunkard, and abusive. He didn't care whether any of us lived or died. It was really just my mom, my sister and I. My sister and my mother were the ones I cared about most in the world, and to have them taken away like that..." I shook my head.

"You can't be going after her for revenge though, are you?" Swan asks gently.

"No. It's just-" I swallowed. "my sister disappeared when the blast hit her. I didn't see her die. So I clung to the hope that somewhere, she was still alive. Somehow. And only the ice witch would know where she went." I look at Emma pleadingly. "You have to understand-"

"I understand." Emma smiles sadly, and slips her hand into mine. "Let's go find Elsa."


	5. That Moment When You Fall on Your Butt

**Please comment!**

Hook

Every few seconds, I glance at Hook. Since telling his story, he seems to be even more to determined to find Elsa, and less talkative. I could relate to his story, being left in the orphanage with no hint of my past, but at least now I have my parents and the support of the whole town. It chilled me to think Elsa was able to do such cruelty. I had really been convinced that she wasn't that bad. But with this story, what else could I think?

Still, though, something bothered me.

If Elsa was planning to attack the town, why did she go in alone? If she was willing to negotiate, she wouldn't want to start a war. Obviously, she could protect herself. However, she wasn't stupid. Attacking the villagers directly, with her powers, would have been a foolish move. No one else could have summoned the ice that would have covered the whole town. A better move, if her whole plan was to attack, would be to tell her soldiers to ambush the town, and not come at all. That way she couldn't get hurt or killed.

A particularly chilly wind blew over me, and I shiver. I rub my hands together.

"We're here." Hook grunt. I look up, and gasp.

A glittering ice castle rose from the ground at least 100 feet skyward, covered with the most intricate designs. Even with the snow swirling around so fast I could barely see it, the palace still took my breath away.

"Whoa." I breathe.

"Come on." he says curtly, but I can tell, he's impressed. We walk up the stairs. Even though they are made of ice, a thin covering of snow made it possible not to slip. As we approach the gigantic doors, I hear Hook take a deep breath. Then he pushes them open. A small fountain spewed powdery snow in the middle of the room. Long staircases gracefully wound their way to the next floor of the castle. I take a step forward... and fell on my butt. I cursed. Of course I fell. I wasn't paying any attention, and the floor was made of ice. Hook snorts.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." He offers me a hand. I take it, and he pulls me up. He smiles at me mischievously."Guess I should leave that out of the story I tell Henry, eh?" My glare answers him. Still, being a pain in the neck was better than the stony silence we had walked in. Even though it wasn't directed at me, I still hadn't liked it.

"Come on, doofus." I sigh, leading him to a staircase.

"From your tone, I'm guessing doofus doesn't mean sexy beast."

Actually, I'm preferring the silence now.

These stairs don't have the snow like outside, so I grip the railing tightly going up. I don't want to give Hook another thing to tease me about. Holding on to the railing was harder than you would expect. It was freezing cold, and I had a mild fear of getting frostbite. Not to mention the worrisome notion that the stairs might crack at any second. A palace made out of ice made about as much practical sense as a glass house.

Hook has it easy. With his metal appendage, he couldn't feel the cold of the railing, and since it was a hook, it gave him something to catch on if he falls. Glancing back at him, I can see that his face had returned to the hardened frown he had before.

When we finally got to the top of the stairs, Elsa was waiting for us.

"I know why you're here." she said, with a slight quaver in her voice.

"Then you know what you have to do." Hook growls, hand on the pommel of his sword. "Where is my sister?"

"Sister?" Elsa asked, looking frightened and confused. "What do you mean?"

"Let me make it clear to you, then." Hook replied. His voice was low with anger, and scarily calm. "October 5th. You came to negotiate peace with Esterbeech. You summon a blast of ice, killing 20. **Including my mother.**" Elsa takes a step back. I would like to do the same. Hook looks murderous. I notice the air gets colder. "When the first blast came, my sister vanished before my eyes. WHERE DID YOU SEND HER?" I touch his shoulder.

"Hook, calm down." I told him quietly. He takes a couple of shuddery breath.

"I-I don't know." Elsa stammers. "I don't know what my powers did that day. E-esterbeech was an accident." I look at her curiously.

"An accident?"


	6. Another Back Story

**Please comment!**

"'Meda, 'Meda, wake up."

"Huh? Wuhs habbinig?" I mumble.

"You were sleeping, and I wanted to show you something." he says, beaming. "Look!" He hold up a 50 dollar bill proudly. I sit up, all grogginess gone with the sight of the huge bill. I swear, if you're poor, money is like smelling salts. The jangle of coins can miraculously bring a homeless man back into consciousness (because he's probably faking it for sympathy money).

"Where did you get that, Papi?"

"The nice lady gave that to me."

"Where was that lady? You know that I want you to stay close to me."

"You were sleeping! I got bored. And now we have money." Papi smiles triumphantly. I want to argue with him, but I do feel guilty about going to sleep. Ever since I had seen the Wanted sign, I always kept three eyes peeled for Hercules. Especially at night. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in three days, and exhaustion was making gravity pull on my body with more force then usual. Dark circles made me almost look like a raccoon. Suddenly I was shaken out of my train of thought by a small hand on my shoulder.

"Did you hear me, 'Meda?" Papi asks, looking into my face.

"No, sorry." I apologize. "Can you say that again?" Papi rolls his eyes.

"I saaaid, what do you want to do with the money?" Suddenly his eyes light up. "Maybe we can buy chocolate. I've always wanted to try that again. Remember that day when we got chocolate cake?"

"Yeah, it was some kind of anniversary, I think." I say absently. It wasn't every day we got 50 dollars. We had to make sure no one else got their hands on it. Suddenly, without warning, a wave of longing for my brother crashed over me. That happened sometimes. I'd be totally fine one moment, and the next, I could be bawling my eyes out. It hasn't happened in a while, since Papi joined me, but now, frightened, alone in my fear, I needed someone who could support me, take over when I was too worn out to try. He would have known exactly what to do. Whenever he came home with a paycheck, he showed me how to think ahead so that Dad wouldn't get his hands on it and spend it all on booze. I needed to utilize that skill right now, but I was physically and mentally wasted. I felt a tear spill over and make a wet trail on my cheek. Immediately, I felt pressure around my waist. Papi was hugging me.

"Don't cry, 'Meda." he consoles. "We don't have to figure what we're going to get _now_." I smile at him. How simple his life was, his biggest worry about whether to get chocolate cake or a bunch of chocolate cookies. I felt so protective of him. He was like the little brother I never had. I hug him back.

"Come on." I say, dusting myself off. "Let's get home." I look up, and realize that no one was around. Instantly, my heart starts hammering against my rib cage. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"I thought you said you hung around the soup kitchen." a voice says behind me, a voice I had heard more in nightmares than in actuality. I hear a breath escape my lips, sounding like a sigh. I feel strangely separated, like I was a kite, only attached to the world by a string. I turn around.

"Hello, Jackson." I reply calmly, as if facing your nightmares was no big deal. His blue eyes stop on my green ones. A smile slowly cracks on his face, looking unnatural and wrong. He pulls a hand through his hair.

"Why'd you lie to me, Andromeda?" My breath catches in my throat. He breaks out in a mad laughter, causing the hair on the back of my neck to raise. Papi whimpers and clutches my hand.

"I never told you my name." I croak, snapping back into my body. The fear around me is almost tangible. Wait, it is. Snowflakes dance merrily around me.

"I never told you mine." He cocks his head. "Hello, Papi." There is something dangerous in his tone. I throw my arm back, shielding my charge. His awful smile grows bigger. "Always the mother, aren't you?" He takes a step forward.

"DON'T." my voice shakes. "Don't take another step forward, or I swear you will regret it." I push Papi behind me and stretch one hand out, palm upwards. Ice shards, sharp as daggers, appear in it. To my surprise, he only laughs harder.

"It seems I have found a worthy opponent." he says, and brings out his hand to show the white flame burning bright inside it. I gasp. Jackson opens his hand wider, letting the flame grow. "Surely you didn't think you were the only one with magic." I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask, finding my voice, weak as it is. Jackson's twisted smile falls off his face.

"Why am _I_ doing this?" he repeats. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because when he was young, little Jackson Altman wanted nothing more to please his parents, to amaze them with his special power. But this was a long time ago." He studied me.

"I have lived longer than you may think. Yet-" he stops here, his voice catching on something. "Yet I cannot seem to age. Or to forget! I still remember when so long ago, my parents were horrified with the curse I had been given. Bastards."

"They called in a wise man, pleading with him, asking them to take this demon out of my body that was my power. They tortured me, in ways too horrible to describe. Maybe I'll tell you while I'm killing you. When the torture didn't work, they called another. And another. When no one could separate me from this curse of mine, my parents pleaded with the gods, asking Hera and Zeus, the rulers of the heavens, to send someone who could help." By now his voice had dropped to a soothing lull. I was entranced by it, not noticing when he took a step forward.

"And they sent some one. This man wore a hood, and he smelled of blood. I screamed at my parents not to let him touch me, but when they looked at me, their eyes were cold. I was a monster. When this man-no, this thing-touched me, a shudder went through my body. It didn't take away my power. But what little sanity I had left he took, and replaced by something e-else." He sang the last part, unsettlingly.

"Now sometimes I feel like myself, and sometimes I don't. My parents didn't like that, so they sent me to my Uncle Daedalus'. He was jealous, because, as you know, madness is brilliance, and I was better than him. So he tried to kill me. An eagle saved me. He said: 'There is no happiness for you in this world. I will send you to the next.' And then he sent me here, with people that looked like my parents but weren't."

"I wanted to kill them," he informs me. "The part of me that is hidden said I shouldn't, but I did anyway! They made such pretty torches." He giggles. I snap out of my stupor. A thick layer of blue ice surrounds me and Papi, about 20 feet across and in width. The only dry part is around Jackson. His voice drops to a whisper. "Do you want to know my real name? The name my parents gave me before they despised me? Perdix Dó̱ro. My last name means gift in Greek. Ironic, is it not?"

I clear my throat. It had closed in fear. "Extremely ironic. Now that you've told us your story, will you let us go?" For a moment, Jackson's (or Perdix?) face changes, becoming more human. His eyes get round and scared.

"Yes. I mean, NO! I mean, yes, go. Gaaah!" He clutches his head and slumps to the floor. He looks up at me, obviously in pain. "GO!"

Clearing my head, I pick up Papi and start running. I know what to use the money for, now.

I'll use it to get away.


	7. Interrogation

**Please comment!**

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Elsa sits at the table, uncomfortably staring at the hot chocolate Ruby had given her after one look at her face. Emma looks at her with sympathy. I look at her with a blank face, because I don't know what to think.

Is she bluffing? I'm usually good at telling if someone is lying or not, but Elsa is a literal ice queen. This is a special case. I don't want to trust her either. My hand has been at the pommel of my sword for a while now, waiting for her to attack. For now, though, it doesn't seem like that is coming anytime soon. Damn. I was hoping for a fight.

"Where are you from?" Regina asks, no emotion coloring her tone, not even the snarky sarcastic personality I'm used to. No one knows what to make of the ice witch. Including me.

"Arendale." Elsa replies.

"And that is where?" Elsa flushes and replies:

"I don't know. I never really left Arendale's castle because of...you know."

"You came to Esterbeech." I growl.

"That was after-I thought I could control it."

"Obviously, you were mistaken."

"Hook." Swan murmurs, touching my arm comfortingly. I quiet, but not happily. I do not want to be here, making buddies with the wench that killed my mother and sent my sister to who-knows-the-hell-where. I can tell Regina wants to tell me to take a hike, but she knows all too well that this is my fight, too. Regina understands loss, and what you're willing to do to get your loved ones back. I sit impatiently for a few questions more, but then I can't take it.

"WHERE DID YOU SEND MY SISTER?" I burst out.

"I-i don't know."

"Don't lie to me! You must know! It was your power that sent her away in the first place!"

"Not necessarily." The Crocodile says as he walks in, intrusively, I might add. Elsa visibly pales while I scowl.

"I don't need help from you." I bark, glaring at him. He levels a stare of his own to meet mine.

"Listen, pirate. It might be surprising to you, but I understand what you're going through. I know what it's like to have lost someone that was close to you." He closes his eyes for a moment. My glower softens, if minutely. I had loved Neal like a son, and his death still hurt from time to time, though probably not as much as Rumpelstiltskin does. "The ice queen's magic is unpredictable. As you probably have seen, unless you are _completely_ daft, pirate, she has no idea how to control it. She would not know where your sister went."

I groan and cover my face with my hands. I was _so close. _ What was I thinking? Find the ice witch, force her to tell me where my sister is, and everything's peaches and cream? Well, unsurprisingly, its not turning out that way.

And now I'm accepting help from _The Crocodile_?

_You don't have to let him help._ A part of me whispers. _You can find her on your own. You don't need anyone. _

I shake my head. That was the old, reckless pirate in me speaking. I knew I needed to push aside my pride and let him help.

That is, if he doesn't kill us all in the end. I sit up and start listening again, soliloquy finished.

"However." Rumpelstiltskin continues, "I do know how to find her, if she's alive and in this dimension. It's a slim chance, but it's better than nothing."

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Soon, we are at his pawn shop. Rumpelstiltskin takes out a globe and places it on the table in the back. He looks at Emma. "You should remember this; we used it to find Bealfire." he states. "Since your boyfriend over here doesn't trust me, I'll ask you to tell him how it works."

I start. I wasn't even thinking that he would try to trick me. Even stranger, the fact that Rumpelstiltskin was helping me. This ice queen is making us all act strange, isn't she?

"You prick your finger on the sharp part at the top of the globe." Emma informs me, as I do so. The pain was sharp, but slight, and it subsided almost immediately."Then let one drop of blood fall on the globe. It will show you how to find any family member in this world." As the deep red drop falls, I find myself holding in a breath. If this works, I'll finally be reunited with the only family I have left.

Two dots materialize in North America.

"It's on this continent, that's convenient." Emma says. It zooms in closer. The dots are located in New York. "New York? Again? That's strange."

"You'd be surprised by the amount of magic in New York." Rumpelstiltskin replies mysteriously, with no further explanation.

"Wait. There are two dots." I say. "I only have my sister left."

"And the dots are right next to each other."Emma mentions.

"That is strange." Rumpelstiltskin remarks.

'Is it possible that your mom is still alive?" Emma asks me.

"No." I say sullenly. "I listened for her heartbeat until the villagers dragged me away. There is no way she's still alive."

"Then...who is that?"

"I have no idea." I respond. Never mind that dot. My heart starts beating faster. I've finally found her. After all this time, I'll get to see her smile, hear her laugh again.

"Stay right there, Andromeda." I whisper to the globe. "Your big brother is coming to save you."


	8. Taxi!

**Please comment!**

Having lived in New York for a while, you would think hailing a cab would be easy. It isn't. To tell you the truth, I didn't really know how to hail one. I'd kind of given up hope of ever leaving here after years of trying, and I never had the money for a cab, so I didn't really pay attention to any of this stuff. I watch jealously as a man hails a cab with an ear-splitting whistle that somehow cuts through the hustle and bustle of New York.

I try to imitate the whistle, but I can barely hear a sound myself. I don't usually hang around Times Square. With all the people, its too dangerous fro someone like me, who might as well be a ticking time bomb.

"Taxi!" I shout as loud as I can without damaging my throat in the process. The yellow cab zooms past me, trailing a cloud of exhaust behind it. I cough and wave my hand in front of my face. "Taxi!" One slows and stops, blocking traffic. Angry honking ensues. "Thank god." I say, rushing to it. Just as I get to it, a blonde lady hops in, and it screeches off. I frustratedly blow a strand of snow-white hair out of my face. "That's it. We're taking a bus." I grab Papi's hand, and snatch a quick look behind me, searching for Perdix. I don't see any suspicious blasts of fire, so we're probably good. I chew my bottom lip. Or he's waiting to attack.

I sprint to the nearest bus stop.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. Shouldn't have wasted any time on stupid taxis. We don't need luxury, just speed._

"'Meda, you're hurting me." Papi complains. I look down, realizing I'm clutching his arm way too hard.

"Sorry, buddy." I croon, scooping him up. He'd been so good. Any other 6-year-old would have been throwing a fit by now. But he'd been quiet, letting me drag him around the city. I wonder if he understands what is happening. Maybe he was so scared by what had happened he couldn't think. I sigh and brush a curl of dark hair off his forehead.

"Everything's going to be OK." I whisper in his ear. 'We're going to get out of here and no one is going to bother us ever again." He looks at me with big, grey eyes and replies:

"I believe you, 'Meda."

I stare at him for a moment, startled. For a second he...but that was impossible. In front of us, the bus pulls up and stops with a slight huff sound. I had been studying a bus map while we waited, and figured we could get into New Jersey, then maybe hitchhike to somewhere even farther. Any New Yorker, whether naive or not, had a very low opinion of New Jersey, and I was no exception. I was not staying there for the rest of my life. And of course I knew hitchhiking could get you kidnapped by some crazy maniac, but I already had one of those following me. I look behind me for what seems to be the millionth time. I don't see him, but that doesn't make me feel any better. That encounter had left his face seared into my memory, but as I scanned the crowds, I didn't even catch a glimpse of the black-haired, blue-eyed psychopath. I take a deep breath, shuddering.

The farther, the better. If I had a plane ticket and didn't have Papi, I'd go straight to Antarctica. It's isolated, tremendously far away, and the icy terrain is appropriate. The cold weather would also help me in case Perdix somehow found me again.

I wasn't going to lie, what had occurred left me discombobulated. I thought I was the only one with powers. Obviously, it was not a normal thing. Magic like that meant you came from another world. Perdix had talked about some eagle sending him here. Where had he come from? I remember Esterbeech fondly. The good memories I have of my home grounds me sometimes when I have problems, as lessons for me to reflect upon. He has no good memories at all. What lessons has he learned? Probably to trust no one, if he learned anything at all.

"Come on, it's time to go." Papi told me. As we got onto the bus, I realized I couldn't call him Papi forever.

"Do you remember your name?" I ask him. He looks at me curiously.

"It's Papi. Duh."

"No, I mean your real name." He thinks for a moment.

"Whenever I dream about having a mom, she always calls me Liam Jr." He hops on his seat, merrily swinging his legs back and forth. I help him with the seatbelt, making sure his secures it well.

"Alright then, Liam." I say, testing it out. I like it. "We'll call you that from now on."

"I like it better than Papi." Liam comments, his eyes already glued to the window.

"Me too." I smile.

As I lean back into my seat, I recall another Liam. He was such a fleeting occurrence in my everyday life back then that I hardly remembered him. A captain of the navy, my other brother, Killian, looked up to him. Killian had always loved the sea, and being a captain of his own ship was his lifelong dream. I wondered if he achieved it.

Now that I was sitting down, the fatigue of the past sleepless nights crashed down on me, and my eyelids felt heavy. Liam leaned against me and fell asleep. Smiling, I put an arm around him. Soon, the warmth of his body and the gentle motion of the boat lulled me to sleep, too. I felt safe.

Almost like the feeling I would have if I knew my brother was here, and looking for me.


	9. Airplanes and New Duds

**Please comment!**

~Emma~

I think everyone was surprised when Elsa declared she was going to come. When asked why the bloody hell she would want to, (question posed by Hook, of course) she replied calmly that she felt responsible for tearing apart his family and wanted to help. I had a feeling that she knew quite a lit about torn-apart families. Then Regina stepped in.

"If she's coming, I'm coming." she announced. "You need someone with magic, and I'm not too sure _she_ can be trusted yet." She shot a look at Elsa, who flushed but didn't say anything.

"Regina, you just can't force your way into this. You can't do whatever you want." I said.

"Hah! And _you're _telling _me_ that? After bringing that-that _woman_ back from the past? A reckless move _at best._" Regina spat. I flinch back. She was right; I still felt guilty about bringing Maid Marian back. Also I could've created a rip in the time-space continuum. Probably.

"You can come." Hook interrupted, eliciting a surprised look from both Regina and I. Apparently, she had been expecting a fight. Hook looked at Elsa for a moment, almost like he was judging her. She smiled nervously. "And you, I suppose." Elsa made a little sound that was interpreted as happiness.

"Thank you!" she breathed. "You won't regret it."

And that's how I ended up getting on a plane with two magical queens and a pirate, using conjured tickets (which I wasn't sure were morally correct) to find a disappearing sister.

Oh boy.

It's kind of funny the way Hook reacts to all the new technological advances like it's a ticking time-bomb. It's also kind of embarrassing. Elsa, too, wasn't used to any of this, she being even newer than Killian.

The first time the speaker had announced the flights, Elsa had created a sheet of ice that made everyone slip around her, and Killian had brandished his hook with a startled shout, yelling: "Come fight me, you invisible demon!" He then proceeded to swipe anything that moved.

Luckily, Regina had put a Distract spell on us, so no one gave us any notice. I surprised myself by summoning a few fireballs and melting the ice while Regina approvingly looked on.

Chuckling at the memory now, I realize that they would need to get new clothes. I know from experience that wearing leather in an enclosed space didn't bode well; and as for Elsa's dress, which I think is ice? I didn't want that to be melting anywhere inconvenient. Regina agreed, so we popped into the nearest airport-store and got some I LOVE NY T-shirts, and even jeans that fit. After changing, Elsa seems even more nervous than before, tugging down her shirt and muttering if her mother could see her now, wearing a man's clothes, she would get the punishment of a lifetime. Killian, on the other hand, just kept exclaiming how comfortable they were, and how he would never put his old clothes on ever again. He practically skipped around the airport terminal.

Finally getting on the plane, I let out a sigh of relief. That was hectic, to say the least. I had let Elsa claim the window seat, ignoring Hook's protests. Now I smile a little. They were almost like little kids sometimes.

While helping Elsa and Killian put on their seat belts and explaining what they were for (maybe a little _too _detailed, as Elsa now had little snowfalkes floating around her) , the impossibility of this crashes down on me. How are we going to find one girl, in a crowded city of thousands? It wasn't as if she would send up a flare. And the existence of the second dot bothered me. Killian said he had only had one sister and an older brother, who had died in Neverland. It didn't make any sense. I hoped it was some kind of magic glitch. That happens, right?

The airplane starts with a low rumble, and soon we're in the air. Elsa exclaims at the sight of clouds, while Hook, ironically, looks airsick. Sure enough, after 20 minutes he excuses himself to use the bathroom. I settle back into my seat and close my eyes, pushing my doubts away, and falling asleep.

~Elsa~

I'm shivering in a frozen tundra, rubbing my arms to keep warm, which is strange. Cold doesn't usually bother me. The sensation is interesting. There is nothing but white wasteland as far as the eye can see. Only one other person is here, a girl I do not recognize, who has white hair like me. Peculiar.

"Hello?" I ask tentatively. The girl whips around, eyes widening at the sight of me. Her face looks slightly familiar, like deja vu, but I can't place it.

"_You._" she hisses, eyes narrowing with hate.

"Me?" I respond, confused.

"You sent me here. Away from everything I've ever known. _Everyone_ I've ever known. As if that wasn't enough, you cursed me with this!" She thrusts he hand out toward me, summoning a small pile of snow. I catch my breath. "And all because you didn't want Esterbeech to separate from your precious kingdom!"

"Esterbeech?" I repeat. I'm so dumbfounded by this girl. Then, I get a flash of memory, one of a girl's white, terrified face as she vanished. And a dark-haired boy screaming her name.

_Andromeda! _I say a word that my mother definitely wouldn't approve of.

_That boy was Hook._

The girl, Andromeda, was disappearing. Wait, no, I was. The tundra was shaking. Someone was waking me up!

"Wait! No!" I scream, struggling to stay asleep. "Andromeda, Hook is coming for you!"

"Who's Hook?" she asks, her accusing glare replaced by confusion for a moment. Augh! What was that thing Emma had called him once? His real name?

Yes! Yes, I have it now. Killian!

"Killian is coming for you!" I scream. Then the dream vanishes, replaced by Hook's appallingly pale face.

"You were screaming my sister's name." he says.


	10. It's All Smoke and Mirrors

**Please comment!**

~Andromeda~

"WAIT!" I shout, running after the witch, all hostility gone for the moment, wiped out by the sound of my brother's name. "What do you mean, Killian's coming?"

But it was too late. She had vanished. I cry out and slump to the ground. She couldn't possibly have meant my brother...could she? How did she even know who my brother was? I was so confused. Suddenly, I hear a loud groaning sound. The ice cracks beneath me. I start panting, because for some reason it's hard to breath. I choke and cough, hacking almost as if I had swallowed smoke.

Then the ice cracks and I am falling.

* * *

I wake up with a shudder and a gasp that leaves me in worse shape than before. I just breathed in a huge cloud of soot. The thick black cloud made the inside of the crowded bus hot and stuffy. People are screaming. The dream I just had evaporated, overpowered by fear.

_Where's Liam?_ I think, and whip my head frantically around.

My screams soon join everyone else, but instead of calling for help or praying, I am calling for my little brother. The smoke stings my eyes, making tears pool and slide down my face. I try to summon a snowstorm, but the air is too dry and I am too thirsty.

"LIAM!" I call, and my voice cracks. There is no answer but a welcoming breeze.

Wait. Breeze? I stumble along a little farther and discover a gaping hole in the side of the bus, hidden by a melting wall. I promptly hop out, hoping against hope that Liam found the same escape route as I.

I was just about to jump back in the bus when I hear the familiar cry of "'Meda!" Only this time, it is colored with fear.

"Liam!" I follow the sound until I find him. And stop. My thoughts grow sluggish with panic. Perdix gives me an awful smile, his arm entrapping a struggling Liam's waist. I take a step forward, but already there is a fireball in Perdix's hand, throwing an eerie light upon his face, his blue eyes glinting maliciously. Liam cries out in pain and fear and struggles to get away from the heat.

"Hello again." Perdix starts. "I do wish we didn't keep meeting in these...inauspicious circumstances."

"Let. Him. Go." I growl through gritted teeth, hating the way my voice trembles, hating the way my body shakes as I hold it back from what it screams: _Save Liam._ Because I knew taking a single step forward would mean his instant death. I had never been so scared in my life.

For a moment, Perdix's grimace fades, replaced with uncertainty. He recovers his composure just as quickly, but I notice. I look down and am startled to see that a sheet of ice is spreading lightning-fast around my feet and snowflakes drift in the air and melt on my skin, the cool touch a welcome after the terrifying heat of the fire. I realize that I have a chance of winning this. A slim one, to be sure, as I have been weakened by the fire, but a chance nonetheless. I just have to be smart about this. I force myself to smile. Liam cries out again, though either from pain or from the fear of the strange face I must certainly be making, I am not sure.

"Can't you see?" I chuckle. "You can't defeat me. Even trapping me in a fire can't cripple my power."

"That may be so," Perdix responds slowly, the ever-present smile thankfully disappearing. "But I still have the boy. You won't let me hurt him." I swallow because I know I can't deny it. Every visibly clenched muscle, every quickening breath I take, is testament to how much I love Liam. Maybe, before I knew him, I could have walked away. Even then, my conscience would have troubled me. But now I can't. I would rather die a thousand times than let Liam get one scratch from Perdix.

"I will tell you one last time;" I chirp, still struggling to keep up the pretense that I am not worried by Perdix's obvious power, and of his madness. "Let the boy go without hurting him, and I might let you leave alive." That part was true. Even if I did defeat him, I wasn't sure if I could kill someone. I knew I couldn't let him continue to hurt people like this. I let out a silent breath. This is not the time to fuss about ethics. Right now, my top priority was protecting Liam.

Perdix looks at Liam for a time, as if considering my offer. My breath catches. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult, after all. Maybe there still was one spark of humanity left in Perdix's dark heart. But then he looks at me, and my heart sinks. His smile is back.

"I think I'll keep him for a while." he drawls.

_All right then._

With a shriek, I throw a wall of ice at him, one that carefully swerves to avoid Liam. Caught off guard, Perdix takes the full brunt of the blow, hurtling backward. Yet his grip on Liam does not lessen. Just before Liam hits the ground, I summon a mound of snow to soften the impact of landing. For Perdix, I'm afraid, I simply didn't believe he deserved the courtesy.

Unfortunately, Perdix cushions his fall with a blast of fire that slows his descent, but doesn't entirely stop him from getting hurt. When he lurches up, I am glad to see that a thin trail of blood has made its way down from his mouth to his jaw.

Before I can attack again, a hurtling inferno distracts me. Instinct takes over and I create an ice shield that melts on contact with the inferno. It didn't last long, but at least it doused the flame. Quickly, before Perdix can react, I assault him with a barrage of icicles. I then duck as a trail of flame shoots over me, so close I can feel the heat.

_What to do, what to do?_

A pocket of snow circles Perdix's face, blinding him and leaving him open for attack. I put thick ice around his legs, but he has recovered and is melting them before I can react. However, I notice Perdix is off balance.

Taking advantage of that, ice appears under Perdix's feet, making him slip and lose his purchase on Liam. Liam darts away, running toward me. Relieved tears rush to my eyes.

"Come here." I croon, beckoning him with arms outstretched, forgetting about Perdix (idiot that I am!). "I'm here for you. Everything's going to be all right."

Looking behind Liam, I spot Perdix, his hand raised, ready to throw a fireball. But not at me. At Liam.

"NO!" I scream, and shoot a bolt of my power at him. It connects and he falls, but it's too late. The fire shoots out. Liam is not fast enough. Without a second thought, I jumps in front of Liam, shielding him and shooting a bolt of pure power at Perdix himself. When the fireball hits my chest, something strange happens. Instead of burning my skin, it goes inside of me. Then all the blood in my veins turns to fire, and I scream. Less a scream than an animal sound, one of a living thing that is overwhelmed by more pain than anything should feel. As I collapse, through my fog of complete agony I hear someone else yell.

_That's strange. It almost sounded like my older_ _brother. _I think, at that instant slipping into unconsciousness.


	11. Not What It Cracked Up To Be

**Please comment!**

~Killian~

It was almost funny how easy it was to find my sister. Even from the JFK Airport, we could see the bright flashes of fire and ice, lighting up the sky. I knew it was her. Both Emma and Regina could feel the magic thrumming from the epicenter, and where else would there be magic but my sister? Police helicopters buzzed around the site. Regina could teleport us right to the spot. She said with the amount of magic being used over there, it would be almost impossible to _not _be able to teleport us. As the purple smoke surrounded us, I found my heart was pounding. I would finally see Andromeda again, finally be able to hold her in my arms again.

Then we got there just in time to see her crumple to the floor.

"ANDROMEDA!" I scream, the sound ripping out of me. I rush over to her, ignoring the small fires burning everywhere and the sheets of ice I saw. It didn't even register to me that these things were strange. I just needed to get to my sister. When I got to her horribly still body, I found a little boy holding her and crying. I drop to my knees next to him and cradle her head. "Andromeda." I whisper, the sound barely making its way out around the tremendous knot in my throat. Tears start trickling out of my eyes. I feel like I'm not supposed to cry, but I can't help it.

_Come on, Killian, be a man._ But the sight of my sister, who I have been searching for since I was 17, limp in my arms was too much. I barely acknowledge Emma crouching down to slide one arm around my shoulders. Elsa gasps and shakes her head in shock and disbelief.

Just then, her eyelids flutter.

"K-killian?" she mumbles, her voice strained. My heart leaps.

"Yes. Yes. I'm here." My voice cracks. "I-I thought you were dead."

"Where's Liam?" she groans. I blink, confused. My older brother Liam was never close to her. They didn't get along very well, and he wasn't in the house much. I didn't even think she still remembered him. But of course she wants her entire family with her now. I had to tell her that he was dead.

"Andromeda." I say gently. "Liam's dead."

She starts violently, then begins crying, ugly, heaving sobs making her body shake. I try to wipe away one of her tears, then yelp and grasp my thumb. Her tears were boiling hot.

"I'm not dead." The little boy next to me says defiantly. I had forgotten about him. He hugs Andromeda. "Stop crying. Please." Surprisingly, she does.

"Liam." she breathes, and struggles to get up. I try to tell her to stop, but she insists. I support her, and she stands up. "Did Perdix hurt you?" She coughs. It was a dry, painful sound. My throat aches in sympathy.

"No. I'm fine. You saved me." The boy replies, with a forced smile. Andromeda sighs in relief, then seems to remember something and looks wildly around.

"Where's Perdix?"

"I'm here." an unfamiliar voice responds. I look up and see a good-looking boy with black hair and blue eyes being supported by Regina. I hadn't even noticed she had gone. My attention shifts back to the boy. Is he her...boyfriend? My grip tightens on Andromeda.

She is way too young to have a boyfriend. Sure, she's 18, and sure, I had my first date at 14, but this is different. Andromeda takes a wobbly step back.

"Stay away from me."

Not her boyfriend, then. Perdix suddenly moans and clutches his chest. Alarmed, I notice a white streak appear in his hair. Elsa murmurs something under her breath and walks over to him. She looks at Andromeda.

"You froze his heart." Elsa informs her. I blink, confused. Andromeda doesn't have any powers. How could she freeze his heart? Andromeda surprises me by smiling. But it was not the warm, kind one I'm used to. It looks terrifyingly savage.

"Good." She suddenly grasps her own chest and visibly grits her teeth. She begins again, with difficulty. "Now he can never hurt anybody ever again." Perdix steps forward, and Andromeda stiffens under my hand, which was now burning hot, thanks to the fact that her skin was scorching. I was increasingly becoming worried for her. I step forward to protect her from the boy, hook aloft.

I'm impressed when Perdix doesn't even widen his eyes at the sight of me.

"I... want to say... I'm sorry." he says haltingly, quickly looking at the floor. I can see he's fighting back a grimace of pain. Apparently, having your heart frozen hurts. Not that that fact is surprising.

Andromeda narrows her eyes at him. All of a sudden, I notice her hair is as white as Elsa's. I know that it used to be a dark brown.

What's going on?

"When I attacked you, I was mad. I didn't know what I was doing." He looks up at her, eyes pleading. "After you shot me, I could finally think again. I guess freezing my heart gave me back my sanity." He smiles grimly. "Too bad I won't be around long enough to use it much." He looks down at the floor again. "

Andromeda...Liam...I guess what I'm trying to say is please forgive me. I know that I don't deserve it, but please, if you can, find it in your heart to look over what I have done." Perdix meets Andromeda's eyes apprehensively. The little boy looks up at her, as if asking whether to forgive him or not.

"You're right." She responds. Her voice is so cold it sends a chill up my spine. "You don't deserve my forgiveness." Perdix drops his head, but you can tell he isn't surprised. Andromeda is about to walk away with my help when abruptly, she and Perdix collapse simultaneously. Regina and I cry out in surprise. After Regina feels Perdix's head, she looks up grimly.

"We need to take them to Storybrooke." She proclaims. "I have no familiarity with this kind of magic, and I probably don't have the ingredients for a cure." Elsa, pale-faced, nods mutely. Emma looks at me expectantly.

"It's your call." she says. "This is your journey." I sigh. Couldn't I, just once, get an easy choice? Not only do I have a possibly dying sister in my arms who might not survie the journey back, but I have to decide if this Perdix should come as well.

He obviously has a questionable history. I look at Andromeda, burning up in my arms. Yes, we will go to Storybrooke to find a cure. I look at Perdix, slumped on the ground. I notice more of his hair has turned white. So what if he has a questionable history? Don't we all?

"We will go back to Storybrooke. And Perdix will come with us." Regina levitates Perdix's unconscious body, ready to carry him back to the airport. I feel something tugging on my shirt. I look down and see the little boy that Andromeda called Liam.

"I'm coming with you." He tells me. I raise an eyebrow. What is this lad's connection to my sister?

"I don't think that's your choice to make."

Liam looks up at me defiantly. I'm startled by how much he looks like me when I want something.

"'Meda will be really really mad if you don't let me come." He declares. A smile quirks up one side of my mouth. He reminds me of someone, someone dashingly handsome and brave and good with the ladies. Someone who is me.

"And the boy can come too." I find myself saying.

"You're going to make this 5-year-old walk all the way to JFK?" Emma asks skeptically. "I don't think Regina can do that again without the magic in the air like last time."

She ignores the indignant correction of the little boy, who shouts: "I'M SIX-AND-A-HALF!"

"That's all right." Regina says. Her face lights up. Is the lass...smiling? She scoops Liam up, who doesn't protest. "I'll carry him."

"Uh...All right." I respond, dumbfounded. I see Emma is as bewildered as I am at Regina's sudden change in personality. I guess she likes kids.

"To Storybrooke." Elsa says distractedly.

"To Storybrooke." I echo. I look down at Andromeda.

_Just hang in there..._


	12. They're Ba-ack

**Please comment!**

~Emma~

When we bring Andromeda in to Mr. Gold's shop, he turns pale as a sheet. Rushing over, he passes a glowing hand over her body, then grimly tells us to bring her to the back. Regina steps forward with Perdix floating in front of her, but he motions for her to wait.

Now we sit anxiously in the back of his pawn shop, looking wide-eyed at him, who is more agitated then I have ever seen him. His lips are drawn into a pale, thin line, and his pacing back and forth is making me fidgety. Finally, he stills, and looks at us. Our attention is drawn to the slight hissing sound coming from Andromeda as another part of her snow-white hair becomes brown.

"This...this is very bad." Mr. Gold mumbles.

Part of me wants to go, _Really? I had no idea! I thought it was just natural for people to go into a magical coma as their hair turns different color_, but another part of me turns cold with fear. If even he was worried...

"Bring the boy over here." Mr. Gold says, snapping his fingers.

Regina complies, floating Perdix's still body over. He passes a hand over his body, and sighs. Killian leans forward, gripping the chair so hard his knuckles turn white.

"He," Rumpelstiltskin starts, pointing at Perdix, "Has a frozen heart. The cure is currently unknown. She," the finger shifts to Andromeda. My gaze flicks to Killian. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. Mr. Gold continues. "Is burning up from the inside. The raging inferno is centered, incidentally, also around her heart. This cure is also unknown. They may last a month, they may last a day. What I do know is that they won't last long." He looks at Killian with somber eyes. "I'm sorry."

Killian releases a breath and slumps back into his chair, deflated. The little boy, Liam, cries out and buries his face into Regina's stomach. She hugs him back tenderly. After a moment, he looks up again, his gaze locked on Andromeda. He moves closer to her, and holds her hand. Tears stream down his face. I frown. A 6-year-old should not have to go through this. Killian stands up and walks over to the boy. He puts a hand on Liam's shoulder.

Then it happens. Almost imperceptibly, Andromeda's fingers tighten. At the same time, Perdix takes a longer breath. Their eyelids flutter open concurrently. Rumpelstiltskin's head tilts slightly to the side, as if he is intrigued in spite of himself.

"How strange. They seem to be inexplicably linked." Leaning over, he pinches Perdix's arm. Andromeda exclaims and slaps her own arm just as Perdix gives Mr. Gold a dirty look. At that moment, they both seem to notice what had just happened and gape at each other.

"No." Andromeda breathes. "I can't be linked to.._him._" She says the word with utter disgust and loathing. Liam tugs on her shirt. She looks down, and smile brightens her countenance. He places a hand over her heart, feeling the heat coming off it.

"Does it hurt?" he asks quietly. I start as I realize that this kid is very mature for his age. Too mature. His childhood was probably torn away from him. I remember another girl who's childhood was torn away from her. Me. I look at the kid worriedly.

"Well, it's not...comfortable." Andromeda grimaces. Her eyes drift up to meet Killian's. Eyes clouding over, she suddenly darts forward, and hugs him. "Oh! I've missed you so much, big brother." Tears hover at the edge of her voice. Killian grasps her like he'll never let go.

"Annie. Oh god, you have no idea." he said into her hair. I suddenly avert my eyes. I feel like I've intruded into something private. I concentrate on helping Perdix walk. He looks at the scene with an almost hungry look.

"He..._loves_ her." he says, as if it were the most astonishing thing in the world. I look at him, puzzled.

"Well, yeah. She's his sister. Why wouldn't he?"

"My parents didn't love me. No one did." he responds simply. No emotions color his tone. He isn't fishing for pity, as I've seen other people do. He states as if it were a fact of life. It probably is, for him.

A quiet _psst!_ catches my attention. Elsa waves, trying to get my attention. After making sure Perdix was steady, I walk over to her.

"I know the cure." she hisses. My breath catches.

"What? Why aren't you telling anybody?"

"I'm telling you, if you'll just listen for a moment." she says dryly. "I only know the cure for a frozen heart. But something about the way they are linked...something's different about this one. I can feel it." Her hands grasp mine. I'm not surprised to find that they are icy cold. "It's a special case somehow. And the boy's fire magic is strange."

Her voice drops until she is speaking under her breath and I have to lean forward to listen. "I think he's not from here." When she sees my face, she hastens to explain. "Not the Enchanted Forest, and not this world, either. Some kind of Elsewhere." I glance over at Perdix, who's head is ducked down. Regina walks over and sits next to him and says something. He smiles, and responds. I grin to myself. I get the feeling he needs a friend. Regina needs one, too. I'm not quite ready to call her my friend yet, and I doubt anyone else is.

But another thought runs through my mind, and I frown. Andromeda seems to hate this Perdix with a passion. He has done _something_ that warrants detestation.

What, exactly, is that something?

Grumpy runs in, panting.

"I come from the border. We're trapped. No one can get in or out of Storybrooke."

I make a face. This is probably bad.


	13. Breaking Walls Down

**Please comment!**

~Andromeda~

Killian peers questioningly at the short man, who is apparently called Grumpy. I'm trying to figure out if it's a nickname or not when my brother speaks.

"I think the dwarf has gone mad." My mouth opens, forming a small "o". A dwarf. He must be from the Enchanted Forest, too. Liam squeezes my hand. I squeeze back. I'm not surprised that he's stuck to me like glue after waking up, but it is a tad annoying, though endearing. I have to talk to Killian about my powers. I smile to myself, feeling a little giddy.

_Killian._ He's found me. I feel certain everything is going to work out, now that he's with me. It's probably naive, but who cares? I'm 18, I'm allowed a little naivete every once in a while. I feel like I should yell at someone for no reason.

Suddenly, a wave of pain crashes over me. My vision turns red for a moment, and I almost stumble, but I beat the pain back and remain standing. I cough, and a small cloud of soot wafts out of my mouth. The process happens about once every 10 seconds, and is very distracting. Also, painful. Also, aggravating. I desperately sip the canteen of ice water Emma had given me. Aah. Relief, if for an instant.

I glance over at Perdix, who's reacting similarly. My stomach clenches in hate. And, fine, maybe a little fear.

_He shouldn't be here._

Even pale and weak, Perdix was dangerous. I didn't trust him as far as I could throw him, and, considering my condition, I don't think I could even pick him up. There is no doubt in my mind that he will hurt the people I love.

I dig my nails into my palm until blood flows, gaining a vicious pleasure from the way Perdix rubs his hand, discomfited. He knows I have this weapon against him. I keep reminding him, just in case he forgets. I will kill myself to protect Killian and Liam, and I'm sure he knows that. He stops focusing on his hand and looks at me for a moment.

I open my free hand, showing him the red dripping down my wrist. _My blood is yours._ I mouth. Perdix shakes his head and looks away.

Creepy? Yes. Necessary? Hell yes.

Gasps emanate from in front of me, and I focus on Killian. Strangely, he has his hand in the air, stretched flat. I walk forward, and notice everyone else, except for Perdix, Grumpy and I, are doing similar things.

"What are you doing?" I ask Killian, a little weirded out.

"Put your hand right here."

"Okay..." I stick my hand out into the air. It instantly collides with something. "Augh!" I exclaim, cradling my injured limb. I don't have to look back to see Perdix doing the same thing. I look up at Killian. "What the heck was that?" He shakes his head.

"I have no idea." he replies.

"Let's see..." Regina murmurs. She summons a fireball, and lobs it at the invisible force. It hits it, and shoots back toward her. She yelps and ducks, mirroring everyone around her. Fortunately, it flies over our heads and hits a tree, which promptly bursts into flames.

Regina distinguishes it, then stands up and swipes all the dirt off of her skirt, most likely trying to hide the angry splotches of red appearing on her cheeks.

"I'm not trying that again." Regina states.

Emma turns to Grumpy.

"I'm assuming this surrounds the whole town." she sighs. Grumpy nods. Throwing up her hands, she groans: "Of course. We're trapped. Again." Stalking away, looking more annoyed than worried, she mumbles to herself. Regina, still looking a tiny bit embarrassed, hurries after her. Grumpy follows.

Perdix walks up next to me, and I tense. But he only puts a hand against the surface. He seems to notice that I do not want him in close proximity to him, so, smiling apologetically, he takes several steps to the side, and continues to study the wall. I cock an eyebrow. I thought he was going to attack me.

_Maybe he really does feel bad about what he did._ The better part of me whispers.

All of a sudden, another wave of burning agony tears a moan out of me, the worst one I've ever had. I thump down on my knees, hand still on the invisible barrier. Suddenly, a blast exudes from the wall, so powerful it shakes the nearby trees. The spasm passes.

"A-andromeda." Killian stammers. He points to the wall. "Look." I turn my head and see a smoking crater blasted into the wall. I look at my palm. Small flames flicker for a flash, then disappear. Mouth falling open in shock, I try to do it again, only succeeding in creating a small mound of snow that promptly melts in my super-heated hand. Perdix exclaims something that sound like Greek, and I peek behind me, a peek that immediately morphs into a full-out stare.

Next to Perdix's hands, a sheet of ice had appeared on the wall. He taps it, and the ice-covered section crumbles. He sticks his arm through it.

"Fascinating." he says. Perdix draws his arm back, cutting himself on a sharp invisible shard of wall. I can't blame him, because nobody could see it. All the same, I cast an angry glance at him as blood starts gushing out of the wound in my arm.

"Sorry." he apologizes quickly, applying pressure to his cut.

"We should go tell the others." Killian says after making sure I was okay.

"I think they already know." Perdix interjects, waving a hand at the crowd of people coming. "They must have heard the blast." I look at the hole I had made. With _fire_. I try to kindle the flames again, but all that comes is ice.

"What the heck?" I mutter.


	14. Fire's A-Burning

**Please comment!**

~Andromeda~

"H-how did you do that?" Elsa stammers. "You shouldn't be able to summon fire."

"For the last time, I DON'T KNOW!" I shout. A sudden cold breeze whips through the air. The stifling pressure of the crowd pressing in on me lessens. God, it's hot. Why is it so hot? No one else seems to be this hot. I push through the ocean of people to get some fresh air. A similar gaggle of people surrounds Perdix.

His eyes are bright and sparkling with...excitement? For the first time since I've seen him, he has a genuine smile on his face. Perdix walks to the barrier.

"Now that we have this hole," he gestures, referring to the breach,"we could possibly widen it. I have heard that the dwarves' pickaxes are strong enough to break through diamond. Is that true?" The dwarf who had come with us, Grumpy, nodded. Perdix steepled his fingers. What a weirdo.

"Fascinating. Do you think it has something to do with the metal alloy or is it just a spell?" He shakes his head, as if dispelling questions forcefully out of his mind. "...Right, back to the matter at hand." He presses a hand against the smooth, glassy surface of the wall.

"First of all, what is it, exactly? Obviously this is an unusual case. It seems to either have a very high melting point, or a only certain type of fire can burn through it."

Perdix goes on for a while, instructing us about the properties of rocks and minerals, melting points, and even a little magic. Even with my extremely low opinion of him, I acknowledge that he's a genius. What was that thing he told me the first time he attacked? "Madness is brilliance?" Well, he doesn't seem very mad now.

Maybe he really has changed. I gasp as a feeling I'd almost forgotten, comfort, seeps through me. I hear the crackling of a flame, and I look up at Perdix. But he's still talking, and there are no flames grasped in his hand. I look down at my hand and realize that it's on fire. The flames are a strange color, green and purple. Trembling a little, I walk up to the barrier, and lay my palm against it. The flames spiral outwards, creating a word for a moment. ἄφεσις. The characters are strange, like no language I've seen before. The word disappears and is replaced with another hole in the wall.

I realize everybody is silent. I look back and I see Perdix staring at me. No, not at me, at the wall. He has gone deathly pale.

"_Aphesis_." he whispers. The foreign word sounded soft, af-e-sis, every syllable rounded and warm.

"What does that mean?" I ask him. He shakes his head and laughs bitterly.

"Something I will never deserve." Then he walks away, toward the town. I almost start after him, then stop myself. What was I going to do? _Comfort_ him? The guy who tried to kill me, tried to kill _Liam_? Where has this sudden onslaught of forgiveness come from? Am I going crazy?

I am extremely bothered by the validity of the question.

I shake my head. I stifle a groan as the red-hot flames ignite my blood once again.

Grumpy shifts awkwardly.

"Um, I'm going to get my pickaxe." he declares. "Y'know, so Perdix can look at it." Suddenly, everyone has reasons for wanting to leave and the crowded clearing becomes deserted in a matter of minutes. The people that are left behind are me, Liam (still holding my hand), Killian, and Emma.

"That was weird." Emma observes.

"Really? I thought this was everyday occurrence in Storybrooke." I retort sarcastically.

"No, mostly there's some evil witch or monster to defeat. A curse, twice." Emma responds nonchalantly. I'm shocked silent. Emma turns around and smiles. "Just kidding!" Relieved, I start to walk to the town, hopefully to get something to eat at Granny's with Killian, when Emma adds, and I can hear her smile in her voice: "We've only gotten attacked by a monster _once_."


	15. Night Frights

**Please comment!**

~Perdix~

_"We're sending you to your Uncle Daedalus." My heart shrivels in my chest as the madness whispers: _Kill them. Kill them all. Watch them burn. _I moan and clutch my head. My parents look on disapprovingly, contempt on their eyes._

_"Zeus knows why we were granted such a monster." Mother says, throwing up her hands in despair. "I wish we could kill it now. If not for the Oracle..." She looks at me, contempt flaring in her blue gaze. As she spins around to face my father, I see her golden chain swing like a pendulum round her neck, bearing her name. _ματαιότης.

_"Well, I'm just glad to be rid of it." Father replies._

_I'M RIGHT HERE! I wanted to scream. CAN'T YOU TREAT ME LIKE A HUMAN JUST FOR ONCE? But I knew I wasn't a real human. My parents referred to me as 'changeling'. Everyone was afraid of me and said I was a punishment from the gods. All of Mother's friends deserted her, and her social status plummeted. I think that Mother hated me most of all for that. They treated me like a slave, giving me labor every day and giving me scraps even a dog wouldn't eat. Nonetheless, I didn't want to go to Daedalus._

_"M-Mother?" I stammer, nervous. I was never allowed to address them directly. Suddenly, Mother's hand was up, and she slapped me across the face. The jewel from her ring cut into my cheek, and blood dripped down my face. She leaned down._

_"_**You**._" she hisses, spittle spraying on my face. I flinch, and get slapped again. "_**Are. Not. My. Son. UNDERSTAND?**"

_"Yes, my lady. I am sorry."_

_She looks at me with condescension, but the fit of rage has passed._

_"You're not sorry." she rolls her eyes. "You're not capable of feeling." Abruptly, she and Father grow fangs and pounce on me,._

* * *

I wake up in a sweat. A pounding headache screams at my temples. I groan and swing my legs off the side of the bed. Another nightmare. I pick up the dwarf axe on the table next to my bed and finger it for a moment. A hundred equations run through my head to try and find out why it's so durable, but right now all I want to do is forget my dream. I walk into the tiny bathroom and splash my face with water. There are dark circles under my eyes, and my black hair is messy. I sigh, and decide I need some fresh air. I put on a shirt and lock up the hotel room. It was nice of the woman (Granny? I wasn't quite prepared to call her that) to let me room in her hotel for free, albeit I have to help her with the chores to earn my food.

Stepping outside, I stretch and blow out a puff of air. Almost by default, I head toward the town line. Snapping my fingers, I summon a small flame that allows me to see ahead of me. I shiver. It's pretty cold, the fact made doubly noticeable by the ice running through my veins, and I almost go back inside. But the vision of my parents with fangs stops me.

"I can deal with it." I mutter. I've been having these nightmares for a while, each one more bothersome than the last. Did I have them when I was mad? Did I sleep at all when I was mad? All I remember from those times were the fights I was in and the people I killed. I remember them distinctly. I set them on fire, and laughed at their screams while they burned.

I retch, and clap a hand on my mouth.

_Get it together, Perdix.__ Come on, you can do it. Just one foot in front of the other._

When I get to the barrier, I find someone else by the wall. I see the shock of long snow-white hair (with some brown streaks, now) and immediately identify the person as Andromeda. Only two people in this town have that hair, and Elsa is not that short. Hoping she didn't hear me, I quietly turn around to head back to the suite. I can understand her not forgiving me. I almost killed her, for the God's sake! Understandably, she is hostile with me. I didn't want to push her tolerance limits. Because I knew if she attacked me, I wouldn't fight back.

But I didn't want to die today. Maybe tomorrow I would, if the nightmares keep getting worse.

I take a step forward and of course, step on a dry twig. The snap sounds like a gunshot. I curse in Greek under my breath.

"Perdix?" she doesn't sound inimical yet, but she's probably just surprised to find me here. I shift around to face her.

"Hi. Sorry, I was just leaving..." I trail off, suddenly noticing that I've said 'sorry' in practically every sentence I've ever said to her. Andromeda had a strange look on her face. I notice she has dark circles, too.

"Let me guess-nightmare?" Surprised, I nod.

"Yeah. Um, how did you know?" I respond cautiously. She turns to face the invisible wall and crosses her arms. From the back, I can see her digging her fingernails into her upper arms. I could also feel it, the damned link transmuting the pain.

"You're not the only one with a tortured past."

"Oh." I don't know what to say to that. "Sorry?" All of a sudden, amazingly, she laughs, a clear, bright sound in the silent night air.

"You don't have anything to do with it. Well, most of it." Her face darkens for a moment. I take a step back.

"I can leave if you want."

She exhales, then offers me a small grin.

"No, you can stay. After all, those of us with powers we don't want should stick together, right?" She glances at my flame and stiffens. I extinguish it.

_Zeus knows why we were granted such a monster. _

_Well, I'm just glad to be rid of it._

**_You. Are. Not. My. Son._**

_There is no happiness for you in this world..._

"Perdix? You're-you're crying. Ow!" My gaze shoots up to find Andromeda clutching her hand as blood drips down. Her eyes are wide open in surprise. I realize that I had dug my nails into my palms so hard I had broke the skin. Horror fills me. I hurt someone-again. What is wrong with me? Suddenly I can't stand to be here anymore. I take off running to the forest. To isolation. So I can't hurt anyone ever again.

I hear her yell "PERDIX!" before I'm out of earshot.

**Please comment!**


	16. Loud and Clear

**Hey guys. Sorry for the really really really really really long wait. Sorry.**

Hook

"He's gone." Emma gasps for breath, bracing herself against the door frame, her long blonde hair spilling past her shoulders in a tangled mess. Had she even brushed it? Then the words she had just said hit me.

"Gone? He who?" I ask, puzzled and slightly worried.

"Perdix! Who else? When he didn't come down to report for work, Granny got suspicious and checked his room. He wasn't there."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious! Do you think I'd be kidding about this?"

I look into her steely eyes and immediately shake my head.

"OK. Let me just tell Andromeda I'm leaving, and I'll help you look for him." I pause by the stairs and look back at Emma. "Oh, and good morning to you, too."

Emma responds by sticking out her tongue. As I go up the stairs, I can't help but to wonder why.

_He had no reason to run. He was helping us, we had forgiven him. Well, maybe _Andromeda_ didn't, but can the lad blame her? So, why would he leave like that? Why why why?_

I stop in front of Andromeda's door. It was open.

"Huh." I say quietly to myself. Andromeda doesn't usually leave her door open. I take a quick peek inside, and freeze. I run inside, throwing back the covers of her bed.

_Please._

Nothing. Not even the lingering warmth of a recent body graced the cold, lonely bed. My eyes widen in surprise in horror.

_That-that-_

"BASTARD!" Unable to confine the word to my thoughts anymore, I yell out the word, startling Emma who had followed me upstairs.

"What's the matter?" she yelps, taking a step back as I storm out of the room.

"He took her." I growl.

"P-Perdix? But-"

"Don't argue with me, woman!" Emma gives me a sharp look. In my anger, I had slipped into an old habit for a moment. "Eh heh, sorry, lass." Snatching my coat of the coat hook, I open the door with one angry movement and step out into the hall.

"Yes, we need to find that son of a jackal," I tell her. "So I can rip out his throat." I start clomping down the stairs as fast as I possibly can, which was probably the reason I almost fell on my face when Emma grabs my coat sleeve.

"Hook, think about it. Andromeda could have left for any multitude of reasons."

"In the middle of the night? Without leaving me so much as a note? With her _and_ Perdix gone the next morning?" I laugh, not caring that I sound just the tiniest bit mad. "I don't think so!"

"You just need to calm down," Suddenly, she was caressing my head in her hands, forcing me to look into her eyes. I could feel the magic rippling around me.

She was going to use magic to control me? How-the spell settled-thoughtful of her. Emma takes a deep breath.

"OK. OK." she repeats. "We are going to find Perdix, and if he has Andromeda, we will punish him accordingly. But there will be NO ripping of throats."

"Not even a little?" I ask weakly, although this time I'm joking. Well, half-joking. All right, maybe 5% joking.

"Not even a little." she responds, and then offers me a small smile. I accept it with a kiss, and then we walk out the front door.

* * *

Andromeda

"Crap." I say as my arm gets scratched by a thorn.

"Crap!" I exclaim as a falling nut scares me for the millionth time, causing the surrounding area to be covered with a light frost.

"CRAP!" I yell as I trip over a protruding tree root and twist my ankle. While nursing my wound, I mutter: "Why in bleeding hell am I doing this anyways?"

I knew. Well, sorta knew. I knew the reason I was tromping around in this thrice-damned forest. I was looking for Perdix. I told myself that I was looking for him so I could make sure he wouldn't burn the forest down. But a small part of me knew that wasn't true.

What was going on in our last conversation, anyways? I seem to remember being-shudder-_civil_ to him. I had convinced myself that I had had a self-induced concussion, due to the fact that I had been repeatedly smacking my head on the ice pillar that formed due to my screaming nightmares. That had to be it.

"I have to go home. Killian will kill me." I whine, in a sort of plea to myself. Apparently it doesn't work, because I continue to trudge on doggedly. Correction-_tiredly._ I had been searching for Perdix almost the entire night, and hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Some coffee was desperately needed. I could feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier and heavier...

When I wake up, the sun is at its highest peak. My head throbs angrily.

"Ow." I say, rubbing the offending body part. As I sit up, I see movement in the corner of my eye. In one graceful(ish) movement, I'm on my feet, icicle at the ready. "Whoever that was, come out right now!"

The person appears from behind a tree, hands up in what was either a placating gesture or a surrender. Possibly both. He looks up, and the flash of blue eyes allow me to identify him almost immediately.

"PERDIX! Where have you been? I was looking all over for y-" I cry out in relief, then realize what I'm saying and backpedal furiously. "I wanted to make sure you didn't hurt anyone, you rotten bastard." God, I hoped he didn't realize I was glad to see him.

The slight smile tugging at his lips and the glimmer in his eye answers my question.

Have I said crap?

"C-c'mon," I stammer, motioning to him, indicating that he should follow me. "We have to get back. Everyone will be worried about you."

The slight smile flies away so quickly, I start to doubt it was even there in the first place.

"Worried about _you_, you mean." he mutters, a little resentfully.

"Perdix," I sigh, than quickly change what I was about to say. "Damn right! I've been walking around with a dangerous criminal, for Pete's sake!"

Not knowing why, I add a little smile to the end of the sentence, hoping to cheer him up, as he seems suddenly morose.

_What am I doing? I'm treating him like one of my friends! I hope he didn't notice._

Thankfully, he didn't seem to see it. Perdix seems immensely interested on the forest floor. I notice the air around us is heating up too fast to be natural.

"Hey," I say to him, but he doesn't notice, and the air starts getting uncomfortably hot. "HEY!" The temperature snaps back to normal as he turns a wide-eyed gaze on me. Suddenly, I don't now what to say. "Did you hear what I said?" I ask him, grasping for straws.

Perdix laughs bitterly.

"Yeah," he tells me. "Dangerous criminal. Got it." Perdix speeds up his pace so I lag behind, which is well enough, because I don't know what to say.

As I tell myself it doesn't matter, _he_ doesn't matter, I hear Perdix's voice drift back to me, so softly I could barely hear.

"Loud and clear."


	17. Hot n' Cold

**OK I REVISED EVERYTHING NOW! YAY!**

Andromeda

We were still in the forest. I don't know how, because we had been walking for days. With concern, I have noticed that all of my hair has turned back to brown, as if the whiteness had burned away. The burning in my chest becomes more painful with each passing minute. I can see Perdix isn't doing too well, either. Over half of his hair had turned white, and every few seconds, he'd shiver uncontrollably.

My throat is so dry. I take the final gulp of the water Emma had given me, ice long since melted. The reprieve of the moisture is gone almost instantly, and I'm back to the panting mess I've been for the past couple of hours.

I try to summon snow, but it seems my power is all but gone. It's funny. A few weeks-no, days-ago I would have given anything to get rid of my power. Now, I'd give almost anything to get it back.

Perdix shivers again. I wish our link transferred heat and cold.

I really wish that. A lot.

After some more time, I notice that there is another bothersome feeling, this one circulating around my stomach. This pain is more of an empty ache, not the burning, persistent agony I've been having.

Am I dying, finally?

No, I'm just hungry.

"Perdix!" I call out weakly. I'm almost out of energy, so I use as little words as possible. "Lunch. 'Kay?"

"'Kay."

I want to input a stinging quip, but I'm too hungry and too hot. Why does it have to be so hot?

We lumber around the forest, searching for a berry bush or something. Well, less searching and more dragging our eyeballs around so we don't trip and fall. To our joint surprise, we find one. We pick berries as fast as we can, which is actually pretty damn slow.

Just as we are about to eat a handful, Perdix stops me.

"What if...poison?" He forces out. I deliberate for a moment, then come to a conclusion.

"Die...quicker."

This answer seems to agree with both of us, so we down the berries ravenously. Almost immediately after, fatigue creeps over my body. I yawn. Perdix is feeling the effects, too, and he sways gently, eyes half-closed.

Maybe this is it. We're going to die now. Dying actually sounds nice. The broiling pain will be gone if I die. I close my eyes, and images flash past.

Liam.

Killian.

No, I can't die now. I push Perdix's shoulder feebly.

"Need...awake."

He groans softly. I try to pull him to my feet. I could just let him lay here and die, but over the last few days, in the face of other problems, my hatred for him has lessened. Also, I am mildly concerned that if he dies, because of the link, I'll die, too. Perdix tries to bat me away, but I'm jolted awake by his ice-cold hands.

With a short spurt of strength, I get him to his feet. He slumps against me. I slap his face.

"Get up!" I yell, voice gravelly. It's painful to talk now. I curl his arm around my shoulders, supporting him so he's able to walk. His body is so cold, it's actually provides some mollification. Likewise, I think it's benefiting Perdix. He stands up a little taller, and the pressure on me eases a bit.

"OK. OK." he whispers.

We somehow make it until the sky is dark. Then we enthusiastically lay down. Sleep settles in like a blanket.

_Not a blanket. Blankets are too hot..._

And then I am asleep.

* * *

Mulan

Stringing my bow, I aim it at the doe that I had been tracking for days. It would be good morale boost for the Merry Men to have a nice dinner for once. After Robin and a couple of his closest friends disappeared, the Merry Men had been looking for him non-stop.

They had even tried to summon the Dark One. He hadn't been seen for years, but they had to do _something_. Nothing else was working, and their beloved leader was gone.

What would they do?

Due to no ambitiousness on my part, I had become the replacement for now. I hadn't known Robin well, so I wasn't that affected by his sudden disappearance. While everyone was grieving, I had more or less kept the camp up and running. Even after the Merry Men got out of their slump, no one had challenged my leadership. I became the person to go to when it came to settling disputes or deciding plans. My extensive military knowledge helped with the planning, and my...well, my being a woman helped with the disputes.

I knew he was a good man with a strict moral code, and I tried my best to abide by that code. But I knew that I would never replace Robin.

I sigh. Ah, well.

I ready to shoot.

Just as I am about to release the arrow, two people stumble out of the bushes, startling the doe and sending it bounding off. I curse and loose my arrow anyways, not surprised when I miss the animal. I turn angrily to the two people.

"Hey! What were you-"

Then I notice that they had fallen asleep. I walk closer, stepping heavily so they know I am approaching, but they don't respond. They had fallen directly into a deep sleep. I notice the dark circles around their eyes. I look closer. They are not adults. They look around 18, still children, really.`

The girl was quite beautiful, and had dark brown hair and long eyelashes. She was scalding hot to the touch. I blew on the fingers that I had touched her with, bothered. I didn't think it was possible to have that body temperature and still be alive. The boy had black hair and was as cold as she was hot. He had wrapped her arms around her, and they took deep breaths in simultaneously.

_Lovers?_ I think. _What are they doing here? Don't they know this is the dangerous part of the Enchanted Forest?_

One thing is for sure, they won't survive a night sleeping unprotected out here. I sigh. Curse my soft heart! I climb a tree and try to get as comfortable as I could.

It was going to be a long night.

**Please comment!**


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